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Neighbors: DBC memories

These days,computers help you spell and do other things accurately. But Fargo’s Dakota Business College, which existed long before computers became commonplace, gave “excellent training” in terms of accuracy and attention to detail.

So says Lowell Busching, Valley City, N.D., in joining others who have written Neighbors about the now-closed college.

Lowell took accounting at DBC. But while he writes he didn’t go into accounting after leaving the college, “I have often felt my accuracy (drilled into him at DBC) helped me on testing I had after joining the Air Force, which helped me get what turned out to be at the time the best, or one of the best, jobs in the Air Force, radar, and from there to many other interesting projects as a civilian.

“Though I never utilized my training in accounting at DBC, it helped me on my way in the electronics field,” Lowell says.

That’s just one of many notes Neighbors has received concerning DBC, many of which refer to the college’s fame in teaching penmanship.

Such a letter comes from Allen Rudel, West Fargo, who says his father Fred W. Rudel, born in 1894 at Fessenden, N.D. attended DBC, although Allen doesn’t know exactly when.

However, he says, “I recall, along with my sister, looking at many pages of his excellent handwriting and various script of penmanship.

“As a result of his great penmanship, he served as clerk of St. Anna School District for many years, and also as township supervisor and secretary of the Fessenden Co-op, where he served in keeping records of their meetings.

“Unfortunately,” Allen says, “at the time of his death in 1966, we had to download many of his old papers. Wish I had kept them.”

Now a note from Chickie (Arneson) Bakkemo, Denver, whose real name is Carolee but who says, “I don’t go by that name if at all possible.”

Chickie, 72, says she and her sister, Patty (Arneson) Corwin, took typing lessons at DBC when Chickie was 12 and Patty was 8. This was during the summer of 1953, and Chickie thinks their dad, Harry Arneson Jr., “wanted something that would keep us busy.”

Patty, at 8, was the youngest student DBC had up to that time and maybe ever, Chickie says.

“I didn’t do well,” Chickie says, “but Patty learned well (maybe due) to the 50 cents or the ice cream cones from the Dutch Maid downstairs they gave her for each perfect paper.”

If you have an item of interest for this column, mail it to Neighbors, The Forum, Box 2020, Fargo, ND 58107; fax it to 241-5487; or email blind@forumcomm.com